Method for converting character text messages to audio files with respective titles for their selection and reading aloud with mobile devices

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method for selecting and downloading content from a content provider which is accessible via an IP/DNS/URL address to a mobile device, the content being any text information data, for converting the text information data to at least one audio message and for storing the at least one audio message as at least one audio file on the mobile device, wherein the at least one audio file is playable and discernable as a music file. Said method implemented on a mobile phone enables controlling and playing the audio messages as music files, for instance also in a car environment with a car kit enabling a control and a selection of one or more of said at least one audio files for playing from the mobile phone.

The present invention relates to a method for downloading contentcontaining one or more text messages as preferably emails, SMS messages,instant messages, social network feeds or news from one or more webaddresses, for converting the text messages to one or more audiomessages and for storing the one or more audio messages together with arespective short title as one or more audio files on a mobile device.The mobile device is preferably a smart-phone, a music player, a carinfotainment system or the like comprising means for the storing andpreferably playing the audio files and music data files, respectively.The storing of the audio files is preferably done in a standard audio ormusic data file format, such that the audio files can become displayedby their short titles and selected and played the same way as the musicdata files.

In case the mobile device is connected to the car infotainment system acar driver can preferably have a look at the titles of the audio fileson a display screen of the car infotainment system and select and playthe audio files therewith. An incoming new text message as preferablyone of the emails, the SMS messages, the instant messages, the socialnetwork feeds and the news gets preferably downloaded and converted bythe mobile device to the respective audio message, stored as therespective audio file and read aloud upon its selection by the user.

Furthermore the present invention relates to a method which preferablyrecognizes and extracts the text messages within the downloaded content,generates respective headlines to the text messages and generatesrespective short titles as file names for the audio files.

A currently announced car infotainment system “ConnectedDrive Assist”from BMW provides a displaying of the emails on a Blackberry smart-phoneand their selection and reading aloud. Said system requires a Bluetoothconnection to the mobile device being the Blackberry. Within the displayscreen of the ConnectedDrive Assist the emails are selectable andreadable as text as well as the emails can also become selected and readaloud. Said car infotainment system fitting to only some of the BMW carmodels and to very few mobile devices is very expensive because of bigsoftware development effort and limited sales for said car models andmobile devices. Said car infotainment system with said functionality isnot a standard compared for example to lots of car infotainment or radiosystems with interface to music players as e.g. iPhones, iPods, andother more simple MP3 players.

Another similar car infotainment system is for example “Media InterfacePlus” from Mercedes Benz.

The difficulty having remote control access to the emails and the SMS onthe mobile devices is related to proprietary and often secret interfaceprotocols of the mobile devices, if they have any of such remote controlaccess possibility at all.

An adaptation of the car infotainment system to one of the mobiledevices is made either by a hardware data connection cable, in somecases by an additional holder/cradle for the mobile phone or by awireless data connection in combination with a communication softwarerunning on the car infotainment system, in some cases on theholder/cradle and on the mobile device. Some systems require also adownload of application software onto the mobile device. Some of theholder/cradles for the mobile phones comprise a processor with softwarefor interface protocol conversion in order to establish a propercommunication between the mobile phone and the car infotainment system.

In some cases the selection of the email and the reading it aloud can beeven controlled by steering wheel buttons which are connected to theinfotainment system by a CAN bus or the like or by speech control. Uponthe selection of the email for reading it aloud, the text message getsconverted by a Text-to-Speech (TTS) software to an audio message whichis output via the loudspeakers of the infotainment system. The TTSsoftware runs on the infotainment system.

Other infotainment systems download upon connection to the smart-phonethe email and SMS data instantly and display a number of them by therespective title or sender address on the display screen of theinfotainment systems for the selection as described above.

Another system called iLane of the company Intelligent MechatronicSystems Inc. connects via Bluetooth to the smart-phone and as well to aBluetooth hands-free car kit with control buttons and/or speech controland with an audio output. The iLane system comprises on board the TTSsoftware for the conversion of the text messages to the audio message,for outputting status messages and questions and it comprises speechrecognition software in order to provide communication with the driverrecognizing control commands from the driver. For instance after havingread the selected email aloud, the iLane system asks for a next controlcommand. Such an instant demanded for voice control in an unforeseeablesituation at the end of the read text message puts a sometimes bigpressure on the driver and gets dangerous. For safety reasons a voicecontrol for reading emails is not recommendable. Besides, saidfunctionalities could also be part of software running on the mobiledevice itself using TTS software and the folder or playlist or the likein combination with all the play/stop functionalities of its musicplayer. Thus an additional hardware and cost for the hardware and theinstallation could be avoided.

US 2010 0 305 807 A1 discloses a similar communication system to theiLane system, the communication system comprising a control unit beingfixedly installed in a car and connected to a vehicle bus; and a mobilecommunication device connected to the control system preferably via awireless Bluetooth connection, wherein the mobile communication deviceworks as a long distance wireless gateway to a data network. Emails orSMS as text data get downloaded from an internet server, converted intoaudio data and output aloud in the car by a vehicle sound system or by aheadset. However this system comprises a separate extra hardware beingthe control unit which needs to be installed in the car with all thenecessary wiring.

WO 2008 091 727 A1 discloses a similar communication system to that ofUS 2010 0 305 807 A1, comprising also a control unit with a firstinterface to a mobile device being installed in the vehicle, wherein thecontrol unit comprises a common application programming interface (API)for the application manager program.

Apart from developing Bluetooth standards as e.g. MTP, A2DP and AVRCPprofiles, all in all there is not yet a wired or wireless interfacecommunication standard established in the market providing the selectionand reading aloud the text messages, as the emails, the SMS and news,for instance, and extra software including a further menu structure hadto be developed on car infotainment systems or the like which make thesystem immediately expensive again.

However remote controlling music players as an iPod, for instance, bycurrent car infotainment systems is widely common and can be found forcars from Mercedes, BMW, AUDI, Porsche, Chrysler and others.

Information data as for instance news downloaded from web pages or evenpreselected news which are preselected by parsing and searching forcertain keywords within lots of text pages and in documents can bestored as text files and become converted by the TTS software generatingrespective audio files. Said audio files can be stored on a PC in aformat as the music data or as WAV audio file and thereupon bedownloaded to the mobile device as. Thereupon the audio files could beplayed on the mobile device. However such a manual procedure iscumbersome and business people spending much time in a car and having adesire to listen to such information data would like to have suchfunctionality as automated as possible. Furthermore an advantageousaspect would be using therefore the already available mobile devicepreferably in combination with the car infotainment system.

SUMMARY O THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to overcome the shortcomings explainedabove and to provide a method for receiving information data as e.g. anemail, a SMS an instant message, and a social network feed, forrecognizing at least one text message within the information data andfor converting the at least one text message to at least one audiomessage and for storing the at least one audio message as at least oneaudio file with a descriptive file name on a mobile device.

Another preferred object the invention is that said method furthercomprises a connection to one or more IP addresses of at least onecontent provider, a downloading of the respective content being theinformation data from the respective IP address, whereupon the textmessages get recognized within the information data and converted to theat least one audio message and stored as the at least one audio file.

Another preferred object of the invention is that furthermore image datawhich contain the text message within the information data get convertedto character text which is then further processed in order to obtain theat least one audio file.

Another preferred object of the present invention is to store the atleast one audio file in a format as a standard music or audio file, inorder to store the at least one audio file in an already existingfolder, directory, data base structure or the like on a mobile device ormusic player, respectively.

Another preferred object is that said method can be implemented onstandard smart-phones or music players as preferably on an iPhone oriPod or the like.

Another preferred object is that said audio files can be selected andread aloud remotely by a car infotainment system connected to the mobiledevices or comprising its functionality.

The above objects as well as further objects which will become apparentfrom the following description are achieved by the features mentioned inthe independent claim. Additional features and characteristics of theinvention are mentioned in the dependent claims.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention are set out in thefollowing detailed description. The invention is set forth andcharacterized in the main claim, while dependant claims describe otheradvantageous characteristics of the invention.

One solution of a preferred embodiment according to the presentinvention is disclosed in the following drawings with detaileddescription but it shall not be limiting the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a mobile device connected via a wireless Internetconnection to a wireless base station and connected via a mobile deviceconnection to a PC system also with Internet connection.

FIG. 2 shows the mobile device connected via the wireless internetconnection to the wireless base station and connected via the mobiledevice connection to a car infotainment system which is connected via avehicle bus to steering wheel buttons and to loudspeakers.

FIG. 3 shows a flow of information data into the mobile device, theinformation data being emails, SMS messages, Web content and textimages.

FIG. 4 a shows downloaded content of a web page under a certain IPaddress, the content being information data.

FIG. 4 b shows recognized character text and images as part of theinformation data.

FIG. 4 c shows determined text messages with respective headlines.

FIG. 4 d shows another example of one determined text message withrespective articles or chapters and with respective headlines.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of the main processing steps.

FIG. 6 a shows an address table containing multiple IP addresses.

FIG. 6 b shows a keyword table containing multiple keywords.

FIG. 7 shows a setup of the mobile device being held in a holder/cradleand the connected thereto car infotainment system with loudspeakers andsteering wheel buttons.

FIG. 8 shows the PC system with a data storage device connected theretoand it shows below the car infotainment system with the data storagedevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL METHOD ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a system overview, wherein a mobile device 1 is connectedpreferably via a wireless internet connection 100 to a base stationwhich is preferably a GSM/GPRS/UMTS, a CDMA base station a WIFI stationwith connection to the internet or the like. On the other side. themobile device 1 can be also connected via a mobile device connection 101to a PC system 103 which is connected to an internet via an internetconnection 104 being preferably a DSL connection, a WIFI connection tothe internet or the like.

The mobile device 1 is running in a foreground in music player mode,iPod mode or the like and shows on its display a folder name 2 as “Newsand emails” and shows beneath multiple titles 3 of text messages 31-34or audio files, respectively. The title 3 show in short words a contentof the respective audio file, its generation date, its sender, akeyword, an enumeration or the like or parts thereof. The audio filescan be music data files and/or audio messages obtained from the textmessages 31-34 and can be selected and played by the mobile device 1 andlistened to either by ear-plugs or by another audio system which isconnected by an audio connector 102 b to the mobile device 1.

Usually the text messages 31-34 being preferably emails, SMS, instantmessages, social network feeds or news or other information data 10 getdownloaded by the mobile device 1 from respective content providers andthereupon can be selected and read on the display of the mobile device 1or in more rare cases on the display screen of a car infotainment system105 connected to the mobile device 1.

According to the invention the text messages 31-34 being downloaded fromthe respective content provider as respective information data 10 getrecognized and extracted as character text, a short title is generatedwhich is taken as the respective file name for the text message, thecharacter text is converted by text-to-speech software (TTS) to audiodata or the respective audio message and stored as the respective audiofile with the respective file name. Thus the text messages 31-34 can beselected and played in a music player mode on the mobile device 1 andread aloud either by the ear plugs 102 or by a connected audio system asa car infotainment system 105 or the like.

According to the present invention the text messages 31-34 contained inthe downloaded information data 10 get converted to the one or moreaudio files and thereupon can be selected and played as the one or moreaudio messages either by control within the mobile device 1 orpreferably by control through the car infotainment system 105.Preferably the selected one or more audio files or text messages 31-34,respectively, get read aloud via a car radio or the car infotainmentsystem 105. Advantageously the driver is not forced after one of theread text messages 31-34 to react immediately by a calling for a voicecommand or for pushing a key or the like.

Common car infotainment systems 105 with an interface to the mobiledevice 1 for playing music and preferably even for displaying andselecting music titles 3 for a playing can be used to read the textmessages 31-34 as emails, SMS, instant messages, social network feedsand downloaded news from one or more IP addresses 51 can be used topreferably select and read said text messages 31-34 to the driver. Thisprevents from making the driver nervous hearing for instance that a newemail or SMS came in, perhaps containing important information, so thathe tends to reach for the mobile device 1 and even to read the textmessage 31-34 while he is driving.

The example shown in the display of the mobile device 1 indicate theuser that No. 1 and 2 are emails from that day, No. 3 is a SMS from thatday, No. 4 and 5 are news from Berliner Zeitung which is abbreviated byBerlin, No. 6 to 8 are news from Heise online with some further detailedinformation and so forth. Preferably the abbreviations of news or ofinformation from what IP address 51 the content is collected arestorable in a setup menu together with the IP addresses 51, as depictedin FIG. 6 a. Preferably there can also be programmed how the title 3 isset together.

Preferably the converted text messages 31-34 contain also a headline pertext message which is generated from the information data 10 asdescribed hereinafter and connected to the character text of the textmessage 31-34.

The mobile device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is preferably a smart-phone as e.gthe iPhone from Apple, a Blackberry smart-phone from RIM or any othermobile phone comprising a music player function and computing/processingcapabilities. But also other systems as mobile device 1 are imaginableas for instance:

-   -   a car infotainment system 105 comprising a music player        function, a wireless connectivity function and        computing/processing capabilities;    -   the PC system 103 preferably being a laptop with said        functionalities described above;    -   a system of two or more devices which are connected to each        other via data exchange, the system comprising a music player        which is connectable to a car infotainment system 105 at least        by an audio connection cable or via Bluetooth, a data storage        device 112 , the PC system 103 or parts thereof.

The folder name 2 stands also for a name 2 of a directory, a playlist orthe like, and the folder name 2 may have of course also another names as“News”, “Emails” “today”, “yesterday” or the like.

FIG. 2 shows furthermore the connection between the mobile device 1 andthe car infotainment system 105 by a mobile device connection 101. Themobile device connection 101 is preferably a wireless Bluetoothconnection, any other wireless connection, or a wired connection foraudio and preferably for control or a combination of parts thereof. Itis also conceivable that the audio output of the mobile device 1 is ledthrough a RF radio transmitter sending the audio output via radio wavesto the car infotainment system 105, wherefore radio-transmitters arealready available adapting the audio of nearly any kind of mobile deviceto the car radio system. Behind the title 108 there is preferably alsodisplayed the length of time 4, for instance in Minutes:Seconds.

On the display screen 106 of the car infotainment system 105 arepreferably displayed the titles 108 as copies of the titles 108 shown onthe mobile device 1. Either all music and/or audio files of the mobiledevice 1 are downloaded to the car infotainment system 105 and furthermanaged on the car infotainment system 105 for a selection and playingof one or more audio files, or the display screen 106 shows only thetitles 3 of the mobile device 1, whereupon after one title 108 or title3 is selected for a playing the mobile device 1 plays the selected audiofile and the audio message gets sent to the car infotainment system 105for its amplification and distribution by the connected theretoloudspeakers 109.

With the car infotainment system 105 the respective title 108 or titles108 can be selected for a playing by any buttons being for example touchscreen buttons, buttons 107 of the car infotainment system 105 or bysteering wheel buttons 110 which are connected to the car infotainmentsystem 105 via a vehicle bus 111 or wireless. Voice control is alsoimaginable and common for some car infotainment system 105.

FIG. 3 is another illustration that various text messages 31-34 may bereceived by the mobile device 1. Through the wireless internetconnection 100 there are received preferably Emails, SMS messages, Webcontent as for example news or company data, text image data 21-22,social network feeds and instant messages, but it shall not be limitedto these.

The wireless internet connection 100 can be the WIFI or a WIMAX or aBluetooth connection or the like to an internet access point, aGSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS or CDMA connection or the like to an email, SMS orinternet access provider or it can comprise parts thereof.

It is also imaginable that the mobile device 1 is connected wired orwireless to a PC system 103, as shown in FIG. 1, for the internetconnection and/or for a data download to the mobile device 1.

According to the invention one or more IP addresses 51 and/or associatedDNS-/URL-addresses are read from a memory which can be an input registerconnected to a keyboard or a touch screen, an address table, a bookmarktable, a register, a database, a data file or the like. The method thenexecutes the processing steps for connecting to the respective IPaddress 51 and/or the associated DNS-/URL-address and for downloadingthe respective information data 10 including the one or more textmessages 31-34. Following and in sake of a short wording the term “IPaddress 51” stands always also for “IP address 51 and/or the associatedDNS-/URL-address”.

FIG. 4 a shows an example of the downloaded information data 10 from theIP address 51. The information data 10 preferably contain besides thecharacter text which is relevant for the text message 31-34 also a lotof control commands as for example font and font size, text color,position and background color information, perhaps image data 21-22 andso forth.

The method according to the invention includes a recognizing andextracting of the relevant information which is the character textwithin the information data 10. The recognition of the character text ispreferably processed by parsing for text parts within the informationdata 10 and taking them in a first step as text blocks 11-20, alsoexcluding all known other control information data 10. In case theinformation data 10 contain also the image data 21-22 as for example inJPEG or TIFF format or the like, said processing step of recognizing thecharacter text within the information data 10 preferably comprises aconversion of said image data 21-22 to character text data by an OCRsoftware, if that is possible. The obtained character text data is thenpreferably also taken into account as text blocks 11-20 for a furtherprocessing.

FIG. 4 b shows a first result of the parsing of the information data 10obtaining the character text as the text blocks 11-20 and the image data21-22 which are separated by certain spacing. Preferably, and asmentioned above, the image data 21-22 are also converted to thecharacter text and to the text bocks 11-20, respectively, which are notshown in FIG. 4 b.

On the obtained character text there is then applied a text messagedetermination procedure based on a text message determination rulerecognizing the at least one text messages 31-34. In a simplest case thetext message determination rule takes all the character text of theobtained text blocks 11-20 and puts them together as one text message31-34.

In a more sophisticated case, the text message determination rulepreferably analyzes the information data 10 for a determination ofmultiple different articles or chapters which are preferablycharacterized as text blocks 11-20 having a bigger interjacent linespacing to a preceding and to a following text block 11-20 and whichcomprise preferably a preceding headline 41-44. Herein are preferablyalso detection characteristics used as detecting bigger or bold letterscompared with the rest of the character text, underlined text and soforth.

The determination of the preceding headline 41-44 is based on a headlinedetermination rule which analyses whether the character text of therespective text block 11-20 is only a short sentence, in bold letters,underlined, near to a following text block 11-20 and bigger spaced to apreceding text block 11-20 or parts thereof. FIG. 4 b shows as exampletext blocks 11, 13 and 20 which are in bold and big letters and so arepredestined to be with good probability the headlines 41-44 ofrespective following text blocks 14, 14 and 21. Text blocks 15 and 17are also in bold letters but are not separated by a different spacing tothe following text or by a short sentence and a line break thus makingthe headline determination and the separation from otherchapters/articles more difficult.

A preferred and more sophisticated headline determination rule comprisesas well a generation of the respective headline 41-44 for the text block11-20 or the text message 31-34, respectively, by analyzing the wordstherein for keywords, for letter size, for underlined words, forstatistical occurrence of the words or for parts thereof, alsopreferably using a keyword reference table. Preferably the headlinedetermination rule may comprise also adding to a first headline textadditional text information as for example the source of a text message31-34 or the information data 10, the IP address 51, the date of thetext message 31-34, a keyword being detected within the text message31-34, a pause or the like. It is also conceivable that the headlinedetermination rule comprises a semantic analysis for the generation ofthe respective headline 41-44.

Preferably in the setup menu can be selected whether the text messagedetermination rule shall detect within the information data 10 themultiple text blocks 11-20 with headlines 41-44 or multiple textmessages 31-34, respectively, or whether all the character text or thetext blocks 11-20, respectively, shall be taken as one text message31-34. Or the detected articles or the chapters can also be seen asmultiple text messages 31-34 within a long character text, as forinstance a newspaper as the long character text contains the multiplearticles as the text messages 31-34. In other words a parameter settingin the setup menu allows preferably whether multiple text messages31-34, if existing, shall be separated from each other and multipleaudio message files, respectively, shall be generated or whether onlyone audio file shall be generated containing all text messages 31-34 oneafter the other.

Another preferred sophisticated text message determination rule takesalso already processed old previous text messages 31-34 into account,detecting which information is really new or already processed andaccepting only new text messages 31-34 and refusing said alreadyprocessed information.

Another preferred sophisticated text message determination rule takesinto account keywords of a keyword table 60, as shown in FIG. 6 b,wherein only those text blocks 11-20 are accepted as relevant textblocks 11-20 which contain at least one of the keywords and wherein theother text blocks 11-20 are refused.

FIG. 4 c shows a result after the processing of the determination of thetext messages 31-34 and the determination of the headlines 41-44. Inthis case the set-up was set to generate multiple text messages 31-34separated from each other, each with a respective headline 41-44. Inthis example which is based on the information data 10 of FIG. 4 a andFIG. 4 b the text message 31 contains the headline 41 which is set to bethe text block 11, the text block 12 is set to be the original textblock 12 as obtained from the previous processing step.

The text block 33 contains the headline 43 which is the result obtainedfrom the headline generation rule in this example generated as acombination of the text blocks 15 and 17 which were in bold letters. Therespective character text as informative message is set to be acombination of the text blocks 15,16,17,18 and 19 set one after theother.

FIG. 4 d shows another example of building the text message 31 of thesame information data 10 as of FIG. 4 c. In this example the settings inthe setup for the determination for the text messages 31-34 are set tobuild only one text message instead of separating them apart from eachother, meaning that all the chapters and the articles detected are puttogether one after the other, preferably with line breaks or pauses, inbetween.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of processing steps of a preferred methodaccording to the present invention. The processing steps according theinvention are:

a) Reading the IP address 51 (or the associated DNS-/URL-address) from amemory, wherein the memory is preferably an address table, a bookmarktable, a register, a database or a data file containing at least one IPaddress 51 for an email or SMS server, for the content server of aweb-page or for parts thereof. Depending on the settings within thesetup, after an execution of this and all the following processing stepspreferably all the processing steps get recursively repeated again witha next IP address 51 until a last IP address 51 has been processed.

b) Connecting to the content provider via the IP address 51 anddownloading the content from said IP address 51, the content being theinformation data 10 including the character text. Preferably theconnection to the IP address 51 or to the content provider,respectively, is done via the wireless internet connection 100 or thewired mobile device connection 101. Preferably in the setup menu thereare also foreseen register settings including a respective login and arespective password for an access to the emails, the instant messages orto the social network feeds.

c1) Recognizing the character text within the information data 10 anddetermining by the text message determination rule at least one textmessage 31-34 within the text blocks 11-20.

c2) Preferably determining the headlines 41-44 previous to of eachrespective article, chapter or text message 31-34.

d) Determining by a short title determination rule at least one shorttitle which is an information related to the at least one text message31-34 and which is determined for use as the file name for therespective at least one text message 31-34.

In other words, each text message 31-34 will be converted hereinafter bythe TTS software to the respective audio message and will be stored asthe respective audio file with the respective file name being therespective short title.

Preferably the short title determination rule takes into accountcharacteristics as for example the information source as for example theIP address 51 or the email sender, a short name 52 from a connectedaddress table 50 wherein each IP address 51 is preferably storedtogether with the connected thereto short name 52 (FIG. 6 a), thecontent and the date of the text message 31-34, the keyword and acontent of the respective headline or parts thereof. Othercharacteristics are also imaginable. Preferably only a limited number ofcharacters of said characteristics are taken and put together, as aresulting short title as the file name can only be displayed with alimited number of characters on the mobile device 1 or on the carinfotainment system 105. The purpose of generating the short title orthe file name, respectively, is to give the user or driverunderstandable information what the respective audio file is about. Inthis context it is also conceivable, that the email or SMS messages ofone day get enumerated with a respective appendix being an incrementednumber.

e) Converting the at least one text message 31-34 by a Text-to-Speechsoftware (TTS) to the respective at least one audio message. This meansthat the character text as e.g. Unicode or Ascii text or the like getsconverted to audio data by the TTS software obtaining the audio data inpcm format or the like. The obtained audio data or the like are thenpreferably stored as the audio file in a data format as e.g. PCM, MP3,WAV, OggVorbis, Apple iPod/iPhone format, WMA, MPEG, one of the ITU-Tstandard formats, A-law, μ-law and the like.

The purpose of choosing an appropriate audio file format is that it isplayable on the mobile device 1 or on the car infotainment system 105,respectively.

f) Storing the respective at least one audio message or the audio file,respectively, as the at least one audio file with the respective shorttitle as the file name. Preferably the one or more audio files getstored on the mobile device 1 or on the car infotainment system 105comprising functionalities as the mobile device 1. But it is alsoimaginable to execute steps a)-f) on the PC system 103, storing the oneor more audio files on an internal memory for the PC system 103 and totransfer the one or more audio files via a storage device 112 as e.g. aSD-card, an USB-stick or the like to the mobile device 1 or to the carinfotainment system 105, respectively. It is also imaginable to transferthe one or more audio files from the PC system 103 to the mobile device1 or to the car infotainment system 105 wireless or via a data cableconnection or to send them through the interne to a server system fordownload to the mobile device 1 or to the ear infotainment system 105.

Storing the audio files preferably also includes knowledge in whichfolder, album, playlist, directory or the like the respective audio filegets stored, also regarding the content, the source, the sender or thelike of the audio file.

This knowledge is preferably processed by a file storage rule which ispreferably programmable by the Setup menu where the user can selectwhere and how which kind of audio files shall be stored. For example,preferably it is programmable where new audio files concerning textmessages 31-34, new audio files concerning SMS, new audio filesconcerning news, audio files already played and the like are to bestored or dragged. It is even imaginable that a new folder or the likeis created if it did not exist before in case of an incoming firstemail.

g) Enabling the selection of one or more of said audio files for playingeither on the mobile device 1 or on a connected thereto device as thecar infotainment system 105 or the like.

FIG. 6 a gives a preferred example of the address table 50 containingthe IP addresses 51 with additional respective short names 52 for therespective IP addresses 51. Those IP addresses 51 with respective shortnames 52 are preferably accessible and can be input, changed or deletedin the setup menu.

FIG. 6 b shows a preferred example of the keyword table 60 containingmultiple keywords. Those keywords are preferably accessible and can beinput, changed or deleted in the setup menu.

FIG. 7 shows a preferred example of the holder/cradle 120 which holdsthe mobile device 1 in a car environment. Further functionalities can bea charging of the mobile device 1 or an interface connecting between themobile device 1 and the car radio or the ear infotainment system 105,respectively, via the mobile device connection 101. In another preferredembodiment the holder/cradle 120 also comprises a radio transmittertransmitting the connected audio signal of the mobile device 1 as e.g. aFM electromagnetic wave which is receivable with a FM radio receiver inthe car. Another preferred embodiment of the holder/cradle 120 comprisesa data interface to mobile device 1 which can comprise audio and/orcontrol data, and the holder/cradle 120 comprises as well an interfaceto the car infotainment system 105 or the like, the interface to the carinfotainment system 105 comprising also audio and/or control data,wherein the holder/cradle 120 preferably comprise an interface adaptionfunctionality between the mobile device 1 and the car infotainmentsystem 105. Additionally a part or the whole data exchange between themobile device 1 and the car infotainment system 105 may be done via avehicle bus 111, as e.g. a CAN bus or the like. It is also imaginablethat the mobile device 1 sends the audio data directly to the carinfotainment system 105 wired or wireless.

FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment wherein preferably all theprocessing steps of the present invention up to the storing of the oneor more audio files are executed by the PC system 103 having theinternet connection 104, and wherein the one or more audio files arestored on or copied to the data storage device 112. The data storagedevice 112 is preferably the SD card, the USB stick or the like, themusic player with data storage capabilities, the mobile device 1 or thelike. It is also imaginable to use the car infotainment system 105 asdata storage device 112 if a wireless connection is set up. Anotherpreferred embodiment foresees that the data storage device 112 is a partof a server system accessible via the internet, where the audio filescan be downloaded to the mobile device 1 or the car infotainment system105 or the like, respectively.

The lower part of FIG. 8 shows the data storage device 112 connected tothe car infotainment system 105 and the titles 108 on the display 106 ofthe car infotainment system 105.

Another preferred method according to the present invention and in casea new audio file was generated and stored furthermore comprises ageneration of an audio signal and/or displays a message on the displaywith the mobile device 1 and/or with the car infotainment system 105.Herein it is also imaginable that the generation of the audio signaland/or by the displayed message only occurs if a respectivedetermination rule detects a certain keyword or a sender address or thelike which is preferably programmable within the setup menu. A preferredfurther processing interrupts a current music playing on the mobiledevice 1 or on the car infotainment system 105 indicating that a newmessage is received and converted, ready for playing/reading.

Another preferred method according to the present invention furthermorecomprises that after the information data 10 are downloaded under acertain IP address 51 the information data 10 get analyzed for therecognition of the text messages 31-34 as well as for one or more otherIP addresses contained in the information data 10, wherein the one ormore other IP addresses are web-links within, before or after therespective text message 31-34. Preferably the one or more other IPaddresses get stored in the IP address table 50 or in a volatile memory,wherefrom the other IP addresses are read out after all processing stepsconnected to the current IP address 51 are executed. This recursiveprocedure, of recognizing text messages 32-34 preferably containingcertain keywords and recognizing as well web-links being IP addresseswithin the downloaded information data 10, proceeding with the recursiveconnection to the web-links and recognizing therein the following textmessages 31-34 and web-links, is a kind of a recursive or linked searchfor information containing one or more keywords. In other words, saidpreferred recursive procedure allows to connect to one of the IPaddresses 51 for the content provider, to recognize the text messages31-34 preferably containing one of the keywords, to recognize nextweb-links connected to the text messages 31-34, to convert the textmessages 31-34 to the audio messages and to search for and recognizefurther text messages 31-34 and web-links within the information data 10of the next web-links. Preferably the keywords are either taken from thekeyword table 60 or from another keyword table connected to therespective IP address.

Preferably the method of finding the text messages 31-34 and theweb-links comprises also a semantic keyword search analysis, whichdetects for example on a search for the keyword “vehicle” also thesemantically connected words “car”, “automobile”, “truck”, “SUV” or thelike and recognizes the respective articles or text messages 31-34,respectively.

A preferred method undertakes the search for articles under the samekeyword search procedure as described above, wherein the first IPaddress 51 is connected to a search machine as for example Google, Bing,Yahoo, Heise-online or the like. As the downloaded information data 10comprise mainly other IP addresses being web-links found under a certainkeyword for what was searched for, the recognition of the text messages31-34 is mainly achieved via the web-links.

Preferably said method of recursive search under web-links within theinformation data 10 is initiated by a first IP address, by respectivekeywords connected to the first IP address and preferably by a timeinterval for restarting the recursive search again and again. Preferablythe first IP address, the respective keywords and the time interval isstored in a register table and organized by a respective bookmark orspider agent. Said register table or the entries, respectively, arepreferably manageable and editable in a certain part of the Setup.Preferably for each of the one or more first IP addresses there areconnected the respective one or more keywords and time intervals.

Another preferred method according to the present invention furthermorecomprises processing steps of capturing an image with a camera of themobile device 1 or connected the PC system 103 of a paper documentcontaining character text and converting the image data 21-22 of thecaptured image via the optical character recognition (OCR) software tocharacter text. The character text is then taken as information data 10continuing with the processing steps as described above. Theadvantageous aspect for drivers spending a lot of their time in cars isthe provision of simply capturing one or more images of text pages ornewspapers, of converting the image data 21-22 to text messages 31-34,and of converting and storing to audio messages as audio files for theselection and playing of the audio files as desired.

Another preferred method according to the present invention furthermorecomprises a control function detecting a selection and playing of acontrol audio file with a unique file name which is setup as one of theaudio or music files only in order to detect its selection and playing.For the detection of the playing of the control audio file only theunique file name of the control audio file is relevant, the content ofthe control audio file is of no relevance but preferably contains ashort audio message what will be executed thereupon. Preferably thecontrol function is a software routine running in parallel to the musicplayer, executing by “polling” or with a certain frequency the detectionwhether the control audio file is played. In case the playing of thecontrol audio file is detected the control function initiates anotherprocess or executes another function, preferably the control functioninitiates the connection to the IP address connected to the controlaudio file, downloads the respective information data 10 continuing withthe recognition of the text messages 31-34 and the generation of therespective audio file. In other words the playing of the control audiofile initiated by the user gets detected and initiates the execution ofthe processing steps described before, as e.g. connecting to a certainIP address, downloading the information data 10, recognizing the textmessages 31-34 and so forth according to FIG. 5. Preferably in the Setupmenu to each of the control audio files is assigned an respective IP- orDNS-/URL-address, so that each control audio file initiates a determinedfunction. So one or more IP addresss in the memory and preferablyconnected keywords thereto are in said case also assigned to respectivecontrol audio files. It is also conceivable to control by such controlaudio files other functions, as e.g. email download, starting a phonecall under a certain phone number assigned to the respective controlaudio file, sending an SMS message stored with the respective phonenumber and assigned to the respective control audio file or the like.Preferably the unique file names are short and descriptive for thefunction and contain one or more special characters.

The main advantage of said control by such one or more control audiofiles is the control of the mobile phone 1 via a wide spread dataprotocol for the selection and playing of music files via theinfotainment system 105 or the like.

Furthermore, although the present invention has been described inconnection with certain specific embodiments and preferred processingsteps, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Accordingly various modifications, adaptations and combinations ofvarious features of the described embodiments and processing steps canbe practiced without departing from the scope of the present inventionas set forth in the accompanying claims.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed byreference signs, those reference signs have been included just for thesole purpose of increasing intelligibility of the claims andaccordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on thescope of each element identified by way of example by such referencesigns.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 mobile device-   2 folder name-   3 Title-   4 length of time-   10 information data (=content)-   11-20 text blocks (containing character text)-   21,22 image data-   31-34 text messages-   41-44 headline-   50 address table-   51 IP address-   52 short name for the IP address-   60 keyword table-   100 wireless internet connection-   101 mobile device connection-   102 ear plugs-   102 b audio connector-   103 PC system-   104 internet connection-   105 car infotainment system-   106 display screen-   107 buttons-   108 titles-   109 loudspeakers-   110 steering wheel buttons-   111 vehicle bus (CAN bus or the like)-   112 data storage device-   120 holder/cradle (for mobile device)

1) Method for downloading to a mobile device content from a contentprovider which is accessible via an IP address or an associatedDNS-/URL-address to the mobile device, the content being informationdata including character text, for converting the character text to atleast one audio message and for storing the at least one audio messageas at least one audio file on the mobile device, the method beingexecuted by the mobile device comprising the following steps: a) Readingthe IP address or the associated DNS-/URL-address from a memory in themobile device; b) Connecting to the content provider via the IP addressor the associated DNS-/URL-address and downloading the content from saidIP address or the associated DNS-/URL-address to the mobile device, thecontent being information data and the information data including thecharacter text; c) Recognizing the character text within the informationdata and determining by a text message determination rule at least onetext message from the character text; d) Determining by a short titledetermination rule at least one short title which is an informationrelated to the at least one text message and which is used as an atleast one file name for the at least one audio file of the at least onetext message; e) Converting the at least one text message by aText-to-Speech software (TTS) to the respective at least one audiomessage; f) Storing the respective at least one audio message as the atleast one audio file on the mobile device with the respective shorttitle as the file name; and g) Enabling a selection of one or more ofsaid at least one audio files for playing. 2) Method according to claim1, wherein in step a) the memory is an address table, a bookmark table,a register, a database or a data file wherein at least one IP address orassociated DNS-/URL-address is stored, wherein the IP address or theassociated DNS-/URL-address is preferably input from keys of the mobiledevice, and/or wherein in step b) the connection to the IP address orthe associated DNS-/URL-address is established wired or wireless and/orwherein the IP address or the associated DNS-/URL-address is related toa content server associated to the content provider providing emailcontent, the content server being preferably a POP/IMAP, a MicrosoftExchange email server, a Send-mail email server. 3) Method according toclaim 1, wherein the memory contains a plurality of IP addresses orassociated DNS-/URL-addresses and wherein the steps a)-f) are executedrecursively for each IP address or associated DNS-/URL-address containedin the memory. 4) Method according to claim 1, wherein prior to step a)a control function is executed, the control function detecting theselection by an user and the playing of a control audio file, whereuponthe control function initiates, based on a unique file name of thecontrol audio file, an execution of the steps a)-g) with a certain IPaddress or associated DNS-/URL-address which is retrieved from thememory based on the unique file name of the control audio file, andwherein the detection of the selection and playing of the control audiofile is done by polling. 5) Method according to claim 1, wherein in stepf) the audio file gets stored in already available or foreseen eitherfolder, directory or database structures like a music file. 6) Methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smart-phone, amobile phone, a music player, a laptop, a PC, wherein the mobile devicecomprises means for a wired and/or a wireless data connection. 7) Methodaccording to claim 1, wherein in step d), in addition to thedetermination of the short title, at least one headline is determined bya headline determination rule and set in front of the at least one textmessage, in order to inform the listener at the beginning of the playingof the audio message preferably about the source, the date of themessage, a content of the text message and a keyword, the headlinedetermination rule taking into account one or more of: the respective IPaddress or the respective associated DNS-/URL-address as a source; acharacter string of a database table assigned to the IP address or tothe associated DNS-/URL-address; the character text; the text message;the first sentence of the text message; attributes of words within theat least one text message as e.g. bold words, big or underlined words,the date connected to the respective at least one text message and thekeyword. 8) Method according to claim 1, wherein in step d) the shorttitle determination rule takes into account an information source basedon the IP address or the associated DNS-/URL-address, an email sender, aname from a connected database table associated with the IP address orto the associated DNS-/URL-address, the content or the date of the textmessage, a keyword, a content of the respective headline or partsthereof, in order to build a descriptive audio file name understandablefor a respective selection for a playing, the descriptive audio filename having a length suitable for displaying on the mobile device;and/or wherein the short title determination rule takes into accountalready existing audio files based on a root name and an incrementednumber related to the already stored audio files of a same kind. 9)Method according to claim 1, wherein in step c) at least two textmessages are determined by the text message determination rule, whereinthe text message determination rule is based on a recognition ofdifferent paragraphs by detection of one or more of: line spacing, bold,underlined words, big sized words, keywords, and whereupon each of thedetermined at least two text messages are extracted as a separate textmessage, in order to generate by the steps following step c) from eachseparate text message the at least one audio message and audio file,respectively, and/or wherein the text message determination rule takesinto account old text messages from a same IP address or associatedDNS-/URL-address, detecting which information is new, taking the newinformation as the text message, and rejecting the text messages whichare already part of already existing converted audio files. 10) Methodaccording to claim 1, wherein in step a) at least one IP address orassociated DNS-/URL-address is an email address, an instant messaging ora social network address, and wherein in step b) at least one email withor without data attachment, an instant message or a social network feedmessage gets downloaded, and/or wherein one or more of the source or thesender, the reference line, the date of reception is taken into accountfor the determination of the short title and within the headlinedetermination rule. 11) Method according to claim 1, wherein in step f)the at least one audio file gets stored in an already available orforeseen either directory, folder, album or playlist structure on themobile device according to a file storage rule, wherein the file storagerule is preferably programmable by a Setup menu, the file storage ruledetermining in which directory, folder, playlist, album the at least oneaudio file gets stored, and wherein the file storage rule preferablydetermines how the file name is generated by using the short title, andwherein preferably after the audio file was played once, the audio filegets dragged to another storage place or an attribute of the audio filegets changed. 12) Method according to claim 7, wherein in step c) thedetermination of the at least one text message according to the textmessage determination rule depends on at least one of the keywords whichare searched for, in order to get only such at least one text messagethat comprise at least one of said at least one keywords, and whereinsaid at least one keyword is preferably stored in a Setup table, andwherein said at least one keyword and the respective IP addresses orassociated DNS-/URL-address are preferably downloadable from anotherelectronic device into the mobile device. 13) Method according to claim1, wherein in step b) the information data comprise image data of the atleast one text message, the image data being in form of a standard JPEG,PDF, TIF, GIF or in hand written form converted by a camera to the imagedata, wherein the image data is detected and converted by an opticalcharacter recognition (OCR) conversion software to obtain charactertext. 14) Method according to claim 1, wherein after the storage of anew at least one audio file in step f) the reception of at least one newtext message is indicated to the user of the mobile device either bydisplaying text through a car infotainment system, by playing arespective audio message and by playing the new at least one textmessage or by parts thereof. 15) Method according to claim 14, whereinthe indication of the new at least one audio file stored within step f)is only indicated if it comprises a certain keyword or sender address,which gets detected. 16) Method according to claim 1, wherein the atleast one audio file is stored in at least one standard music data fileformat being preferably MP3, WAV, OggVorbis, iPhone, Apple iPod format,WMA, PCM or an ITU-T standard. 17) Method according to claim 1, whereinin step g) the selection and playing of the selected at least one audiofile is controlled by the mobile device or by a car infotainment oraudio system, just as music data files. 18) Method according to claim17, wherein the mobile device communicates with the car infotainment oraudio system either directly wired or wireless or via an adaptor,wherein the adaptor comprises a communication interface and acommunication link to the car infotainment or audio system, wherein thecommunication link is a separate wire or is a CAN or another vehiclebus. 19) Method according to claim 1, wherein the audio output of themobile device is led through the car infotainment or the car audiosystem, same way as with music data files. 20) Method according to claim2, wherein a new IP address or associated DNS-/URL-address is obtainedfrom the information data as a web-link in the form of a return from asearch engine or from the content provider in response to providing akeyword to the search engine or the content provider, wherein the searchengine is accessed or the content provider is connected based on the IPaddress or associated DNS-/URL-address already stored in the memory.